Toward a Psychology
of AwakeningBuddhism, Psychotherapy and the Path of Personal and Spiritual
Transformation

How can we integrate the spiritual realizations
of Buddhism with the psychological insights of the West? How
can we reconcile the development of the individual with the
spiritual search for what lies beyond the bounded self? John
Welwood's latest book addresses this question with extraordinary
thoroughness and depth, building on the innovative psychospiritual
approach of his previous six books. Welwood's psychology
of awakening brings together three major dimensions of
human existence- personal, interpersonal, and suprapersonal-that
no single tradition, East or West, has ever fully addressed
within a single framework of understanding and practice. The
implications are enormous. We learn:

how the spiritual practices of the East can further
psychological health and well-being;

how meditative awareness can help us develop more dynamic,
spiritually alive relationships;

how psychotherapy and spiritual practice can work as
allies in helping us awaken to our true nature.

This book is a guide for all those who are interested in integrating
the psychological and spiritual sides of human existence and
living in a more balanced and harmonious way. The book's first
section addresses basic questions about the relationship between
psychology and contemplative spirituality. The second explores
the practical implicaitons of this convergence for psychological
health and healing. The third considers the implications for
relationship and community.